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View Full Version : rear wheel shims from shine, worth the price?



spike
10-13-2001, 03:06 PM
I need to do a rear wheel alignment and
have been trying to source shims.
Napa has adjustable shims @12.50 each
but are made of plastic... will they
brake? http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/eek.gif
Shine has a kit made of metal shims
and hardware.
but at a cost of $99.
http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gifis it worth it?????

Knestis
10-13-2001, 05:19 PM
We used plastic shims on the back of our rally Golf for years. Broke two stub axles but no shims.

Kirk

racer_tim
10-14-2001, 12:30 PM
Yes. I'm using them on my A1 GTI. Currently set @ -2 degrees, as kind of a middle ground starting point. Can go to -.5 to -4 with the kit. Good quality and easy to install / change. Well, getting the old bolts off is not Shine's problem.

------------------
Tim Linerud
San Francisco Region
#95 ITB GTI

Bildon
10-14-2001, 01:46 PM
We've used the hard Nylon shims for 10 years.
Alignment never changes, shims can't really "break". You're talking about a tiny sliver of Nylon wedged between two steel parts...not much room for forces to act on the shim to break it.

-Bilon

spike
10-14-2001, 06:18 PM
Thanks thats what I was looking for.
Shine's web site said that the plastic can fail, but I wanted to see what you guys were
using.

What base line setup should I use.
toe out 1/6 total
camber ?

Eric Parham
10-23-2001, 01:49 AM
Actually, I don't think the plastic would fail. What concerned me was the flexing of the bolts that would be allowed by the plastic, posiibly causing the bolts to fail. A1s only have 4 bolts holding the stubs. Some A2s probably went to 6 bolts for a reason.

If you go with the plastic, make sure you upgrade your bolts to at least 12.9s... but those cost money too (I think Shine includes longer extra strength bolts in his kits).

Having melted plastic wheel centering rings, I just don't like the stuff anywhere near a brake; but admittedly, the rears should never get as hot as the fronts.